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Tottenham missed a trick not moving for Nico Gaitan

The Argentine winger would have added real quality to Tottenham Hotspur's wide positions.

For many years Nicolas Gaitan was a regular in the rumour mill, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United both regularly linked with the Benfica wide man.

Time and again it was claimed the Argentine could be heading to the Premier League, and every time the gossip came to nothing.

More recently talk of a potential exit for Gaitan had died down – with others replacing him as the darlings of the transfer pages – but ironically now would have been the perfect time for the player to move to England with Tottenham in need of quality additions on the wing; just as he looks to be on the verge of moving to Atletico Madrid.

According to a report from Spanish newspaper Marca, the Champions League finalists are closing in on a deal to bring Gaitan to La Liga, and one wonders if Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy should have acted quicker to bring the player to England.

Now 28, Gaitan is outside the bracket of Levy’s usual signings, but that does not mean he should have been dismissed out of hand.

After all, the winger has just enjoyed a superb season in Portugal, scoring 11 goals and providing 20 assists in just 37 matches.

That is his best season of his entire career and there is little doubt Gaitan is now at the peak of his game.

With 47 goals and 87 assists in total for the Portuguese club he is clearly an attacker worth paying attention to, and while Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is building a fine young side he needs experience – as last season’s failed title surge proved.

With the right additions Spurs could challenge again next season, and perhaps even go one better, and just imagine Gaitan supplying the balls for Harry Kane up front.

As it turns out it seems this is a missed opportunity, and it wil be up to Tottenham to find another consistent wide man to supply assists for Kane and whoever else arrives at White Hart Lane in due course.

But if Gaitan does move to Atletico and continues to score and create at such an impressive rate, it could be a case of what might have been for the club from North London.

Vincent Ralph

After graduating with a degree in English Literature, Vincent completed a NCTJ-accredited qualification in newspaper and magazine journalism in 2005. He has worked for HITC for four years and is now Head of Editorial and Journalist Standards.